The most widely used microbial pesticides are derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterial agent is used to control a wide range of leaf-eating caterpillars and beetles, as well as mosquitos. Bacillus thuringiensis produces a proteinaceous parasporal body or crystal which is toxic upon ingestion by a susceptible insect host. For example, B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 produces a crystal inclusion consisting of a biotoxin called a delta toxin which is toxic to the larvae of a number of lepidopteran insects. The cloning, sequencing, and expression of this B.t. crystal protein gene in Escherichia coli has been described in the published literature (Schnepf, H. E. and Whitely, H. R. [1981] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:2893-2897; Schnepf et al.). U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,885 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,036 both disclose the expression of B.t. crystal protein in E. coli. 
The subject invention concerns a novel Bacillus thuringiensis isolate designated B.t. PS81I which has activity against all lepidopteran pests tested.
Also disclosed and claimed are novel toxin genes which express toxins toxic to lepidopteran insects. These toxin genes can be transferred to suitable hosts via a plasmid vector.
Specifically, the invention comprises the novel B.t. isolate denoted B.t. PS81I, mutants thereof, and novel xcex4-endotoxin genes derived from this B.t. isolate which encode proteins which are active against lepidopteran pests.
SEQ ID NO:1 is the nucleotide sequence of the novel B.t. toxin gene PS81I2.
SEQ ID NO:2 is the amino acid sequence of the novel B.t. toxin PS81IA2.
SEQ ID NO:3 is the nucleotide sequence of the novel B.t. toxin gene PS81B.
SEQ ID NO:4 is the amino acid sequence of the novel B.t. toxin PS81B.
SEQ ID NO:5 is the nucleotide sequence of the novel B.t. toxin gene PS81IB2.
SEQ ID NO:6 is the amino acid sequence of the novel B.t. toxin PS81IB2.
SEQ ID NO:7 is the nucleotide sequence of the novel B.t. toxin gene PS81IA.
SEQ ID NO:8 is the amino acid sequence of the novel B.t. toxin PS81IA.
SEQ ID NO:9 is the 42-mer oligonucleotide constructed to the sequence of the insert in pM2,31-4.
SEQ ID NO:10 is the 40-mer oligonucleotide constructed to the sequence of the insert in pM2,31-1.